Travel agents in Berlin took to the streets on Wednesday for the first time to urge the government to support them financially as coronavirus has forced the travel industry to stand still for the foreseeable future.

Protesters could be seen outside the German Chancellery with suitcases and signs.

Amid the coronavirus measures imposed by the German government, travel for tourist purposes is banned, and there is expected to be an economic fallout worse than the 2008 crash, especially for the travel industry.

For us, the travel agencies, we would urgently need the 500 million [euros] and that would be then for 10 thousand travel agencies. So we are not talking only about one. And these 10 thousand travel agencies secure roughly 100 thousand jobs. In comparison to Tui, which got 1.1 billion to 4 thousand jobs, I don't understand it anymore, said travel agency owner Heidi Kosov.

Tui was bailed out with a €1.8 billion ($2 billion) loan in state aid in March as its revenue is expected to be wiped out in 2020.

As of Wednesday, Germany has reported just over 160,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 6,300 related deaths, according to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University.

Travel agents and bus tour staff demonstrated in Berlin on Wednesday where they called for financial support from the government in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

A procession of around 50 buses took to the streets of Berlin driving towards the iconic Brandenburg Gate where they were joined by numerous protesters holding banners and cheering as the busses drove past honking their horns in unison.

We are all earning no money at the moment, however, we are working. That means that we are working on the (previously) uncancelled travel arrangements and we are reimbursing the payments for the customers that do not want a voucher, explained organiser of the demonstration and manager of Merkur travel company in Thuringia Anke Mingerzahn at the scene. She added that the majority of people in the travel industry depend strongly on commissions made from travel tours and services which have been completely put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The protesters urged the German government to supply more financial aid for small businesses, not only for major travel operators, as the industry had been hit hard by the ban on travel due to the pandemic and the regulations demanding reimbursement to clients for cancelled trips.

The protest comes on the same day German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced that Germany will be easing border controls with France, Switzerland and Austria by May 16, with the purpose of having free travel across the EU by mid-June

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Germany: Demonstrations across Berlin demand more pay for medical workers

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Multiple demonstrations were held across Berlin for the International Day of Care to demand better pay and working conditions for care workers as Germany's nursing emergency has become even more evident during the coronavirus crisis, according to 'Die Linke' party leader Bernd Riexinger on Tuesday.

This corona crisis it showed who really is relevant for society's system and care. It's not the bankers, and it is not the financiers and it is not the managers. It's the caregivers, it's the vendors and many other groups [...] But in fact, caregivers cannot pay their rent from applause, and not from praise, said Riexinger.

The leftists party leader spoke at a demonstration held in front the German Chancellery, as another demonstration by care workers was held in front of the federal ministry of health.

I am here to demand what we want, which is more money - no question... working night and day, on weekends and I believe I don't have to say that the work is tough said a nurse speaking at the 'Die Linke' demonstration.

On Tuesday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) made it clear that there was no reason to panic despite the reproduction rate of COVID-19 rising again above 1.0 in Germany over the weekend as restrictions were loosened.

According to the latest data by the Johns Hopkins University, Germany reported over 172,800 coronavirus cases and 7,676 related deaths.

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Germany: Government talks air travel, football and more during COVID presser

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Various spokespersons for different departments of the German government gave updates regarding upcoming societal changes at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. The topics ranged from the air travel situation for the summer to football and even EU contributions.

Travel warnings have been in place worldwide since the outbreak became international, and today the German government announced they will extend these measures. The Federal government decided today that it will extend the already active worldwide travel warning from March 17th, 2020 until June 14th. The extension was decided because the worldwide pandemic situation still exists, announced government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer.

Later in the press conference, this feeling was emphasised by other departments of government. We should not be delusional, that travel during summer 2020 will not be as we wished or as we are used to, added foreign ministry spokesperson Rainer Bruel.

Regarding football, German politicians and football officials had said earlier this month that May 9 was a possible restart date for the Bundesliga. Though no firm confirmation was offered today, the comments made by the government will leave sports fans optimistic for an upcoming return to football.

The DFL [German Football League] was able to find solutions to reduce the infection risk and that is why we are now satisfied with their solution for now. So we can now say that this is acceptable in regards to safety regulations, explained labour and social affairs ministry spokesperson Christina Jaeger.

Germany has reported over 160,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak began, while at least 6,374 people have died with the virus so far.

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Germany: Berlin Zoo reopens as country eases COVID-19 restrictions

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The Berlin Zoo opened its doors to visitors on Tuesday, for the first time since March 17, as Germany gradually relaxes its COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Staff was seen wearing gloves and face protection, while visitors were advised to observe social distancing.

The sanitary measures are great in the zoo. The toilets have this handle so you don't have to touch them. People keep the distance and it is not full like in the summer, said visitor Claudia Ziskmann.

The Zoo currently caps the maximum number of tickets to 2,000 per day, dividing the visitors into two groups with sessions starting at 9 AM (07:00 GMT) and 1 PM (11:00 GMT). The tickets can only be bought online and not all of the facilities were open to the public on Tuesday.

It made our family day. It was beautiful and there is not so many people. It was great for us to go out again. Something different than just walking around. To see the animals again was great, added visitor Katerina Maluk.

The Tierpark, another Zoo in the eastern part Berlin, also reopened for the public on Tuesday with a daily limit of 3,000 visitors.

Germany started to gradually ease coronavirus restrictions on April 22, and will reopen museums, memorials and libraries on May 4, under social distancing regulations.

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Some shops reopen in Berlin as restrictions ease

(22 Apr 2020) Berlin on Wednesday reopened some of its shops, as the city tentatively eases its coronavirus restrictions.
The first customers entered the shops rather hesitantly.
Petra Hoffman was one of the first to visit a store at Rosenthaler Strasse.
Hoffman, who has been living in Berlin for 35 years, said she is glad that life is slowly returning to her neighborhood.
From Monday onwards, masks are compulsory in Berlin on all public transport, but not in shops.
Germany currently has about 50,000 active coronavirus cases, about 1,300 of them in Berlin.

Germany: Face masks distributed for free in Berlin

Face masks were distributed for free in Berlin's city centre district Kreuzberg on Wednesday, as authorities dictated the compulsory use of face masks in public transportation and shops from April 27.

People gathered outside a distribution centre where they could grab new face masks for free.

According to Berlin authorities, people are now required to wear masks on bus, underground and city train transportation, and to keep a minimum distance of 1,5 metres in an attempt to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Berliners will also have to wear mouth and nose protection when shopping.

As of Wednesday, Germany has the sixth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infection cases with 160,479 and 6,374 fatalities, according to the latest figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

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Germany: Building sealed off for COVID-19 testing after residents violate restrictions

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Around 450 residents of an apartment complex in Grevenbroich, North Rhine-Westphalia, were due to be tested for COVID-19 on Sunday after some of their infected neighbours violated movement restrictions.

The complex, known as 'honeycomb houses', was cordoned off by police while the German Red Cross set up a testing facility outside.

Eight people from two families living in the building were tested positive for the novel coronavirus earlier but reportedly violated the quarantine requirements.

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COVID-19 CRUISE CANCELATION? Best Reasons to Use a Travel Agent to Rebook

Cruise stress is something many cruisers are dealing with right now. A good travel agent can be the secret weapon for dealing with that stress. In this episode I look at the best reason to use a travel agent now.

My wife Jenny can help you plan your travel. Jump on Jenny's mailing list for a chance at a free cruise here:

Represent the locafam with a t-shirt, check out the latest designs at:

This Video is a Part of Treasury Consulting Group (TCG) - YouTube Channel having 900+ Videos and moving towards 1500+ by Dec'19, 3000+ by Dec'20

You are most welcome to connect with us at 91-9899242978 (Handheld), 91-011-46126263 (Fixed Income KPO, LPO), Skype ID - Rahul5327, rahul.magan@treasuryconsulting.in, Info@treasuryconsulting.in or

Neighbors Shop for Neighbors in Berlin During Coronavirus Lockdown

Shop4Me is a local food delivery system designed for a building in Berlin during the coronavirus lockdown in Germany. They operate on a volunteer basis and the purpose of the system is to help residents through self isolation, by delivering food to those in need or at high risk from the virus.

They have two types of deliveries, express ones and less urgent, scheduled deliveries. The volunteers do delivery 'rounds' and pick up groceries and medicine orders, bringing them to neighbors' doors on a daily basis.

The payments are made by an honorary system and those receiving groceries leave an envelope at the door or transfer money virtually.

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Federal government wants to extend travel warning until mid-June

According to a report, the German government wants to extend the worldwide travel warning about the coronavirus pandemic until mid-June. This was reported by the news magazine Der Spiegel on Wednesday, citing a corresponding resolution proposal. Click here for more information about COVID-19 in Germany:

Louisville's tourism industry shattered

The coronavirus has shattered Louisville's tourism industry

TOP 11 FUN THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN IN WINTER | Watch before you go to Germany!

TOP 11 FUN THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN IN WINTER (Watch before you go!)

In this video, we’ll bring you our TOP 11 FUN THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN IN WINTER instead of the traditional top 10 fun things to do in Berlin in Winter! We always like to add a bonus tip! :D

Compared to summer, there are less things to do but going in Winter is not something which is to be avoided. There are also great things! We will list down our favourite winter things to do in Berlin shortly but one of the best part is that there is less people around compared to summer! Prices are slightly on the cheaper side.

If you are going to Berlin for Christmas or winter, we know you have one pressing question : WHAT TO DO IN BERLIN GERMANY IN WINTER?

Personally for us, we booked the flight to Germany even without considering whether it was winter or not. We got an insane bargain for us 150 USD per pax to Berlin from Singapore. It was a no-brainer! If you want to know how we landed this deal, get our signature ebook down below:

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Else, check out our FREE 101 Tips to make you a more knowledgeable Traveller:

=====THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN GERMANY IN WINTER=====Back to the elephant in the room: Berlin Germany Things DO in Winter!

If you are going towards the end of november and in December, on of the Top 10 Things To Do In Berlin in Winter is definitely to check out the numerous Christmas Markets! Most cities have one Christmas market but Berlin has many!

They have it at many places and the one at Alexander Platz is the biggest if not one of the biggest. We enjoyed our time there and we also went to one in Zoologischer, where you have the broken church also. But definitely, go for a Christmas market. After all this originated from Germany! This is a must do things in Berlin in Winter!

Another one of the fun things to do in Berlin in Winter is to go for shopping! After all, Christmas season is around and thus, it’s the perfect time to shop, as they hold sales!

There are many other cool things to do in Berlin in winter but we won’t enlist all here. Do watch the whole video to find out more!

Thanks for watching our list of best things to do in Berlin in Winter! TAKE CARE!

We hope you’ve loved our list of things to do in Berlin in Winter! If you have other things to do in Berlin in November, December or winter in general, do comment down below. We would love to hear from you and try out YOUR TOP THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN IN WINTER!

This video ‘TOP 11 FUN THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN IN WINTER (Watch before you go!)’ was shot in December 2018 and edited in April 2020. It’s mainly about the Winter things to do in Germany!

#Berlin #Germany #BerlinGermany

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EU considers $407B bailout for travel, tourism industry | Money Talks

EU tourism ministers are considering a 407-billion- dollar bailout for Europe's travel and tourism industry. It's been devastated by lockdowns put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus. And as Mobin Nasir reports, the bloc's members will also have to co-ordinate their response on re- opening businesses and borders while also trying to curtail the disease. For more on this, Jennifer Iduh joined us from Brussels. She's head of research and development at the European Travel Commission.

#Travel #Tourism #Coronavirus

LIVE: Lebanon reenters lockdown after spike in COVID-19 cases

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Ruptly is live from Beirut’s commercial district of Hamra on Wednesday, May 13, as the country reintroduces a four-day lockdown after 120 new cases of COVID-19 in the past few days.

Information Minister Manal Abdel-Samad said that the lockdown will target the commercial sector, closing all businesses from Wednesday, May 13 at 16:00 GMT until Monday, May 18 at 2:00 GMT. The medical, industrial and agricultural sectors were exempted from restrictions.

According to Johns Hopkins University compiling data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) among others, Lebanon has recorded 870 cases of coronavirus and 26 deaths.

The country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with soaring unemployment and the local currency losing value against the dollar. The​ coronavirus lockdown added more pressure on the struggling economy.

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Shout it from the rooftops: Tel Aviv couple tie the knot on cloud nine

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A couple got married on a rooftop in Tel-Aviv on Wednesday after their original wedding plans were cancelled by authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Israeli couple Uri Ephraim and Roni Bar On opted to have their wedding on the roof of an apartment block.

Nineteen guests were allowed to attend the wedding on the same roof as the newlyweds and 19 others were scattered about on two nearby rooftops.

It feels like a dream, a wedding venue took our money but we didn't give up. We celebrated despite the coronavirus, said Uri Ephram, the groom.

Because of the general lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the newlyweds had to get a special permit from the Home Front Unit of the Israeli army so their guests could attend the wedding.

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Spain: Meet La Graciosa, the Canary island without a single coronavirus case

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With only 700 inhabitants, the island of La Graciosa in the Canary Islands has not registered a single case of COVID-19, as Spain has become one of the most affected countries in the world of virus.

Footage filmed in La Graciosa on Wednesday shows life on the island, and residents can also be seen carrying out disinfection works and the unloading of supplies.

The virus has not arrived here because once the state of alarm was decreed, people have decided to stay in their homes and the hours of entry to the island have been reduced, and [only] strictly necessary movements are allowed, said a city hall worker.

Despite not having any cases of coronavirus, the island's fragile economy has been badly affected by the cancellation of tourist activity caused by the pandemic, and residents are calling for a change to their situation: [We would like] to return to our normal activity. Whether it's bike rentals, apartments, or restaurants. Because we depend on the outside. And, as far as we know, until all of us get to phase 4, it's not going to be possible to move between islands or between provinces.”

As of Wednesday, Spain had 236,899 confirmed cases by COVID-19 and 24,275 related deaths, according to the latest figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Four people have been injured in a stabbing attack in the German city of Hanau on Tuesday evening, the prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday, adding that two Syrian nationals were arrested in connection to the incident.

We assume there was a confrontation between two groups whose members injured each other, said Dominik Mies, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office in Hanau, adding that the attackers were armed with knives and striking tools.

The official went on to stress that there is no evidence that the incident has a terror background or somehow connected to the Hanau shooting in February 2020 which left at least 10 people dead and five injured.

We don't have any evidence that the incident has any political, terror or xenophobic motives, Mies continued.

As a result of the incident, four people were taken to a hospital in Hanau and none of those injured is in a life-threatening condition.